CDWP approves PNRA capacity building

ISLAMABAD: The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) on Thursday approved Pakistan Nuclear Regulatory Authority (PNRA) capacity building in design assessment and analysis to ensure safety of Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs).

The meeting approved software and training components worth Rs91 million of "Further Strengthening of PNRA Capability for Design Assessment and Analysis to Ensure Safety of Nuclear Power Plants.

The total cost of PNRA project stood at Rs296.91 million with foreign exchange component (FEC) of Rs73.85 million.

The CDWP approved six development projects worth Rs27.741 billion including a key project to establish Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) University at the cost of Rs9.780 billion. It recommended one project to Ecnec. The Foreign Exchange Component (FEC) of approved projects totaled Rs2.248 billion. The meeting also accorded approval to concept clearance of two projects.

Minister for Planning, Development and Reforms Ahsan Iqbal chaired CDWP meeting. While chairing the meeting, the minister issued directives for cost rationalisation of different projects as well as revising their financial models for utilisation of public money in a transparent way. "Development budgets should be meant for development needs of the country rather than spending them on non-development expenditure" the minister urged. In education sector, CDWP approved establishment of Central Asian Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) at the cost of Rs9.780 billion having FEC of Rs2 billion. Ahsan Iqbal said that this university should be developed as "university of 21st century" to compete with top international universities in the world. He directed for establishment of university in two phases so that its first phase would be completed by September 2017 to start academic activities. The meeting also formed a committee, headed by minister for planning and development to finalise the modalities for this university at fast track. CDWP also approved "Enhancing IT Export through Industry Support Progamme" worth Rs265.50 million. Ahsan Iqbal said that project should be aligned with Vision-2025 and elements of Productivity, Quality and Innovation had to be ensured while conceiving from the idea and materialising into product as well as its execution.  The meeting also approved "Provision of Coal Conveying System from PIBT to Railway Network at Port Qasim" at the cost of Rs15.875 billion and recommended to Ecnec. The project envisages construction of coal conveying system for transportation of coal from PIBT coal terminal to railway siding and loading of coal onto railway wagons for onward transportation to the proposed coal fired power plants. CDWP also approved Replacement of GSM Network in AJK project at the cost of Rs1450 million. It is designed to carry out existing CS & PS Core, billing SMSC and part of Access Network of GSM System in AJ&K.